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List of canals in the United States facts for kids

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Canals USA 1825
A map showing canals in the USA around 1825.

Canals are like special water roads built by people to help boats travel. They connect different rivers, lakes, or oceans, making it easier and faster to move goods and people. The United States has a long history with canals, from early days when they were vital for trade to modern times where some are still busy waterways. This article explores the different types of canals found across the country.

What Are Canals and Why Are They Important?

Canals are man-made waterways. They are dug through land to create shortcuts or connections between natural bodies of water. Think of them as watery highways! They have been super important for moving things like crops, coal, and other goods. Before trains and trucks, canals were often the best way to transport heavy items across long distances. They helped towns grow and made trade much easier.

Busy Canals Still in Use Today

Many canals in the United States are still active and used by boats every day. These waterways are kept in good shape for ships, barges, and even smaller boats. They help connect different parts of the country and are important for both trade and travel.

Here are some of the main canals that are still open:

  • Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal: This canal connects Virginia and North Carolina. It's actually two canals about 30 miles apart.
  • Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway: This is a huge network of canals and natural waterways along the East Coast. It's part of the even bigger Intracoastal Waterway.
  • Augusta Canal: Located in Georgia, this canal is 6.8 miles long. It's not connected to other waterways but is used locally.
  • Cape Cod Canal: This 7-mile canal in Massachusetts is a busy shortcut. It helps ships avoid the long and sometimes dangerous trip around Cape Cod. It's also part of the Intracoastal Waterway.
  • Cayuga–Seneca Canal: Found in New York, this canal stretches for 20 miles.
  • Chesapeake & Delaware Canal: This 14-mile canal connects Maryland and Delaware. It's another important part of the Intracoastal Waterway.
  • Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal: This 28-mile canal in Illinois helps connect the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River system.
  • Dismal Swamp Canal: This 22-mile canal runs between Virginia and North Carolina. It's a historic waterway and part of the Intracoastal Waterway.
  • Duluth Ship Canal: A short but important canal in Minnesota, only about a third of a mile long.
  • Erie Canal: One of the most famous canals, the Erie Canal in New York is 363 miles long! It was a game-changer for trade when it opened.
  • Great Lakes Waterway: This system connects all the Great Lakes and even reaches into Canada. It's a vital route for large ships.
  • Gulf Intracoastal Waterway: This massive waterway runs along the Gulf Coast for 1050 miles. It's a key part of the Intracoastal Waterway system.
  • Houston Ship Channel: This 50-mile channel in Texas is very important for shipping goods to and from the city of Houston.
  • Illinois Waterway: This 336-mile system connects northern and central Illinois.
  • Intracoastal Waterway: This huge system is about 3000 miles long! It's made up of many canals and natural water bodies along the coasts of the U.S.
  • Lake Washington Ship Canal: This 8-mile canal in Seattle, Washington, connects Lake Washington to Puget Sound.
  • Louisville and Portland Canal: A 2-mile canal in Kentucky.
  • McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System: This long system, 445 miles, helps boats travel through Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma.
  • Okeechobee Waterway: This 154-mile waterway crosses South Florida.
  • Oswego Canal: A 23.7-mile canal in New York.
  • Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel: This 43-mile channel in California helps ships reach inland cities.
  • St. Lawrence Seaway: This huge waterway, 370 miles long, connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. It also spans into Canada.
  • St. Marys Falls Canal (Soo Locks): These locks in Michigan are 2 miles long and are a key part of the Great Lakes Waterway. They help ships move between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.
  • Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway: This 234-mile waterway connects Mississippi and Alabama.

The United States also built the famous Panama Canal on land it once controlled.

Canals That Are No Longer Used

Many canals that were once busy transportation routes are now abandoned. As new ways to travel, like railroads and highways, became popular, some canals were no longer needed. However, their history is still very important!

Here are some examples of canals that are no longer in operation:

  • Alexandria Canal: This canal in Virginia was used from 1843 to 1886.
  • Beaver and Erie Canal: Part of the Pennsylvania Canal, this 136-mile canal in Pennsylvania was active from 1844 to 1872.
  • Black River Canal: A 35-mile canal in New York, used from 1855 to 1925.
  • Blackstone Canal: This 45-mile canal connected Rhode Island and Massachusetts from 1828 to 1848.
  • Chesapeake and Ohio Canal: This 184.5-mile canal ran through Maryland and Washington D.C. from 1830 to 1924.
  • Clinton–Kalamazoo Canal: This canal in Michigan was only partially finished.
  • Cross Florida Barge Canal: Another partially completed canal in Florida.
  • Cumberland and Oxford Canal: This 38-mile canal in Maine was used from 1832 to 1873. Interestingly, one part, the Songo Lock, is still open!
  • Delaware and Hudson Canal: This 108-mile canal connected Pennsylvania and New York from 1828 to 1917.
  • Delaware and Raritan Canal: A 66-mile canal in New Jersey, used from 1834 to 1932.
  • Delaware Canal: Part of the Pennsylvania Canal, this 60-mile canal was active from 1832 to 1931.
  • Erie Canal: While parts of the Erie Canal are still used, its original form changed over time, and some sections are no longer active for transportation.
  • Genesee Valley Canal: This 124-mile canal in New York was used from 1840 to 1878.
  • Illinois and Michigan Canal: This 96-mile canal in Illinois was active from 1848 to 1933.
  • Lehigh Canal: This 72-mile canal in Pennsylvania was used from 1821 to 1942. Today, you can still ride a mule-drawn tourist barge at the National Canal Museum on a part of it!
  • Middlesex Canal: One of the earliest canals, this 27-mile canal in Massachusetts was used from 1803 to 1851.
  • Miami and Erie Canal: This 274-mile canal in Ohio was used until 1913.
  • Mississippi River–Gulf Outlet Canal: This 76-mile canal in Louisiana was closed in 2009.
  • Morris Canal: This 107-mile canal in New Jersey was active from 1829 to 1924.
  • Ohio and Erie Canal: This 308-mile canal in Ohio was a major waterway.
  • Patowmack Canal (Potomac Canal): Built by George Washington, this canal system in Maryland and Virginia was used from 1795 to 1828.
  • Santee Canal: This 22-mile canal in South Carolina was used from 1800 to 1865.
  • Schuylkill Navigation: This 108-mile canal in Pennsylvania was active from 1825 to 1931.
  • Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal: This 43-mile canal connected Pennsylvania and Maryland from 1840 to 1894.
  • Union Canal: This 82-mile canal in Pennsylvania was used from 1828 to 1885.
  • Wabash and Erie Canal: This was one of the longest canals in the U.S., stretching 460 miles through Ohio and Indiana from 1843 to 1874.

Other Types of Canals

Not all canals are for transportation. Many are built for other important reasons, like bringing water to farms (irrigation), helping factories, or draining water away from wet areas.

Canals for Farms, Factories, and Drainage

Natural Waterways Called Canals

Sometimes, natural inlets or narrow bays are called "canals" even though they weren't built by people. For example, Lynn Canal and Portland Canal in Alaska, and Hood Canal in Washington are all natural waterways that just happen to have the word "canal" in their names.

How Many Canals Are in Each State?

The United States has thousands of canals! These include everything from small irrigation ditches to large shipping channels. States with lots of farms often have many canals to help with irrigation.

Here's a quick look at how many canals are in each state:

  • Alabama: 21
  • Alaska: 23
  • Arizona: 289
  • Arkansas: 6
  • California: 2,903 (one of the highest!)
  • Colorado: 1,888
  • Connecticut: 8
  • Delaware: 54
  • Florida: 245
  • Georgia: 25
  • Hawaii: 125
  • Idaho: 1,540
  • Illinois: 278
  • Indiana: 2,239
  • Iowa: 299
  • Kansas: 27
  • Kentucky: 62
  • Louisiana: 45
  • Maine: 7
  • Maryland: 44
  • Massachusetts: 26
  • Michigan: 1,668
  • Minnesota: 1,451
  • Mississippi: 185
  • Missouri: 287
  • Montana: 858
  • Nebraska: 209
  • Nevada: 263
  • New Hampshire: 10
  • New Jersey: 41
  • New Mexico: 69
  • New York: 116
  • North Carolina: 151
  • North Dakota: 69
  • Ohio: 22
  • Oklahoma: 9
  • Oregon: 661
  • Pennsylvania: 11
  • Rhode Island: 3
  • South Carolina: 33
  • South Dakota: 91
  • Tennessee: 61
  • Texas: 299
  • Utah: 575
  • Vermont: 1
  • Virginia: 59
  • Washington: 237
  • West Virginia: 2
  • Wisconsin: 89
  • Wyoming: 1085

In total, there are over 18,000 canals across the United States!

Images for kids

  • Canals USA 1825

    A map showing canals in the USA around 1825.


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List of canals in the United States Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.